Friday, 25 November 2016

Gong - Rejoice! I'm Dead!, album review

Trusting Trajectory

It would seem by reading reviews/commentaries on this album
that most Gongheads have accepted the trajectory of this latest release after
the death of founder and charismatic leader Daevid Allen, apart from a few
diehards who think mutability cannot exist without dire consequences.

As I have often admitted in reviewing other bands, I am no aficionado
here, but perhaps that is an advantage over being shackled to rather than
celebratory and generous about nostalgia. This is a wonderful album, full of excellent
progjazz songwriting and performance. The title track is indeed a joyous ten
minutes of sweet harmonies on the rejoice
chorus and then the prog rock rhythms, these enhanced by the saxophone bursts
and runs from Ian East, at times swirling around in the guitar of Fabio Golfetti,
including Steve Hilage adding lines over a heavy drumming segment.

Third Kapital is
an odd one in the context of the whole, sounding as it does to me of Underworld’s
Born Slippy. Fourth track Model Village
contains the voice of Daevid Allen still politicising in lyrics

When we talk about floating anarchy
Look into the future and you'll see
It's the only way of life that can set us free

We may be in denial, but capitalism's autopsy will say
It haemorrhaged corruption and it bred dishonesty

and the song then moves into another sweet vocal, echoing a pastoral
sound with East caressing on flute. Next Beatrix
also uses the voice of Allen, this time in French, and it is a soothing simple
piece with East playing a lovely if brief tenor solo.

Sixth Visions is
an ambient, restful piece with distant sweeping soundscapes, both instrumental
and vocal – beautifully melodic – and this segues into the twelve minutes of The Unspeakable Stands Removed that has
East playing a gorgeous soprano throughout, and it has the repeating rhythms of a Terry
Riley and Soft Machine trajectory. I think this track is superb, Dave Sturt
driving it on his pulsing bass lines and East returning with punctuating sax until
Kavus Torabi adds the vocal, singing of the mysterious in his own lyric,

Well, time is central, it's elemental what we thinkLost in this ocean, time is a notion, the missing linkBut understanding we are all standing on the brink of

Reflections that reveal the mystery furtherServe only to reflect the thing itselfIt's only the unspeakable within thatResembles more the mystery itself

This song does rise to quite a crescendo of pulsating sound.
Penultimate song Through Restless Seas I Come is orchestral and expansive and again quite
beautiful.

History is important, but the here and now of this album
makes the present something to celebrate.

About Me

This blog is essentially for music reviews, including live gigs. Frequently heavy on 60s/70s nostalgia, the time of my musical growing-up, there is also an eclectic and contemporary range. In addition I fuel a commitment to posting themed album covers for the simple challenge and fun of it - as I've started, I'll keep going. Enjoy.